


When I Think About You

by Shipsterella



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Humor, Not an established romantic relationship, Pranks, Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 07:38:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9592130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shipsterella/pseuds/Shipsterella
Summary: An embarrassing ringtone leads to, well, embarrassment.It plays so loudly, it echoes, despite the crowd of people she's addressing, who have suddenly fallen silent, except for a few shocked snickers and giggles.Teen rating mostly for the lyrical content and dirty words. Actual story content is really innocent, probably qualifies as fluff.





	

**Author's Note:**

> As well as the modern setting, I took some liberties with their dynamic. Henry is 10 in this fic but let's pretend the friendship between Emma and Regina reflects later seasons because these two co-parenting gives me life.
> 
> I posted this as an open prompt but I literally could not stop thinking about this scenario. I hope it comes across as hilarious as it is in my head. I'm terrible at dialogue and have never attempted anything to do with a ship I actually care about but this one was irresistible.  
> Italics are used as emphasis and internal dialogue from Regina's POV.  
> I own nothing but the overuse of italics, the inability to maintain consistent tenses, and any other mistakes.

_I don't want anybody else.  
When I think about you, I touch myself._

It plays so loudly, it echoes, despite the crowd of people she's addressing, who have suddenly fallen silent, except for a few snickers and giggles.

She gives her best glare at the crowd, her eyes briefly meeting everyone she suspects as a culprit. Ruby is at the top of the list but she leaves no potential suspect out; even Granny doesn't escape her glare. She doesn't see anyone attempting to silence their phone nor offer any explanation or apology. Without an obvious culprit, she's openly dripping with disdain at everyone for whomever interrupted the meeting.  
And with _ **that** song? Seriously?_

Sure, she listens to it at home when she's alone and there's no way anyone can catch her - and sure, there was that one time in the car she forgot she had been blaring it and Henry couldn't figure out why she panicked and turned it off _immediately_ \- but as a _ringtone?_ Tasteless.

She's staring at the crowd. They're staring at her. The song is still playing. _Loudly._

  
__

__

Ooh, I don't want anybody else  
Oh no, oh no, oh no

You're the one who makes me come runnin'  
You're the sun who makes me shine  
When you're around, I'm always laughin'  
I want to make you mine

Realization sets in. The music that won't shut off is coming from _her_ hip. It's too loud to not be. _What?!_

She reaches for her phone in confusion and immediately panics. _Why is Emma calling? Why is this my ringtone for Emma? Is this some kind of joke?_

She doesn't have too much time to process anything. She fumbles with the phone and it falls, not in a way to crack the screen, making it unreadable. No, it falls in a way that it glides straight towards the front row and stops. Right in front of Snow.

_SHITSHIT **SHIT!**_

Judging by the look on her face, something akin to sheer terror, she definitely saw the name, _her daughter's name_ , that had appeared to _that_ song about, well, _that_.

_A memory spell would work. No, Regina, you're a former queen. You're an adult. Just dismiss them and talk to Snow._

The meeting had turned into utter pandemonium. It was hopeless.

*ahem* "Meeting dismissed. We'll meet again tomorrow at 7:00 to try to resolve... everything." She announced, trying to appear commanding, or at least not devastated. Not devastated was a good start.

She collected her phone, shot Snow a sheepish smile, and quickly left to gather her resolve over what just happened in private.

She received a text from Emma about meeting for dinner with her and Henry later. She'd talk to her then and figure out when she decided to pull such a childish prank and embarrass her in front of the entire town, not to mention, how and when she had possession of her phone to pull it off. Until then, she was avoiding _everyone._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She arrived at Granny's, against her better judgement, and saw Snow standing at the table where Henry and Emma were seated, leaning close to Emma, clearly discussing something important. 

_Of course._

She steeled herself and walked the short distance, though it felt much longer, to her dinner companions. Snow immediately blanched upon seeing her and if there was a color whiter than white, that would be her new name since that was her current complexion. 

Regina snuck a glance at Emma. She looked confused. 

_Weird. She's supposed to be gloating with that childlike grin of hers._

Snow was still there, mouth agape, starting to speak but failing to form actual words.

Regina turned her attention back to Snow and watched her as she gave up on the words that wouldn't come and walked out, looking back as she exited, still flabbergasted.

Regina joined Emma and Henry, slightly amused by Snow's inability to handle such a risque song played around her delicate ears.  
Emma was grinning now, though not mischievously like she had expected, and still showed a hint of confusion. _What had Snow said?_ Regina got to the point, ready to get this conversation over with immediately. The fact that this discussion was even necessary had her annoyed already.

"Miss Swan," she started with her usual air of command back in her voice, showing this was no joke to her, "What made you think it was a good idea to change my ringtone and call me in the middle of a town meeting?"

Emma's grin disappeared quickly. "What are you talking about? I heard about..." her grin started peaking out as she hesitated, unsure how to approach the subject. "Snow mentioned something about your ringtone and my name and started rambling about being the sun who makes you shine." Emma laughs. "I had no idea what she was saying. I've never heard her talk so quickly, so nonsensically. I was only catching bits and pieces. So what exactly happened and what makes you think I had anything to do with it?"

 _Does she really not know? Is this part of the prank?_ Regina isn't sure but she _really_ wants to berate her right now.

So she does. She goes on about how disruptive it was, how inappropriate it was, how inconsiderate it was, she even touches on how embarrassing it was but quickly goes back to berating Emma for being so juvenile.

She's cut off by Emma, "What was the song?"

"What was the song?!" Regina shoots back with venom. She loses every ounce of composure. "You _IDIOT!_ You know what song it was! You put it on my phone! Is this part of the joke because I swear, this is not funn-"

"Mom." Henry finally has had enough. He attempts to calm his Mom, looking at her sheepishly. He manages to get her attention and pull her out of her fury when she finally focuses on his face. She tries to read the expression written on it but can't.

"Henry, what is it?" Regina calms herself enough to ask gently.

"I thought you'd like it. It wasn't a prank and Emma had nothing to do with it. You always listen to it when you're in a good mood after seeing Ma. It's kind of like... your song. I'm sorry it went off in the meeting but I thought you'd like it."

_To be so observant, this kid is **guileless**._

Regina wasn't expecting this. At all. She was _so sure_ it was Emma that no other possibility even crossed her mind.

She was still trying to process this new information when Emma asked quietly, a bystander (named Ruby) might even argue _hopefully,_ "Your Mom and I have a song, kid?"

Regina still can't form words and she hates herself a tiny bit for mirroring Snow's demeanor from earlier. This whole situation has become ludicrous.

"Yeah, like I said. It makes Mom happy and she listens to it extra after being around you."

Emma can't hold back the warm smile that has taken over and glances at Regina who currently looks like a fish, wide-eyed and mouth hanging open. That makes two people with that same look in less than an hour. She can't contain her curiosity any longer. She smiles at the display before asking again, softly, "What was the song?"

That brings Regina _right_ back to the conversation. There was no way to soften this blow. Just because Henry has no idea what the implications of the song were, she knew Emma didn't share his innocence. Plus, nothing about the song was _**implied**. _

_Maybe she doesn't know it._

Regina took a breath, steeled herself, and "ITouchMyself" came out all as one word, like a verbal bandaid being ripped off instantly and with extreme force.

Emma stared at her.

Regina said nothing. What _could_ she say? Henry had revealed repeatedly that she listened to it when she was happy and implied Emma was a direct contributing factor to her happiness. She couldn't deny it. She couldn't deny _any_ of it.

_Not so secret after all._

Regina is brought back from trying to figure out _when_ she had gotten caught when Emma finally registers the title of the song and places it. She laughs. No, that isn't accurate. She _guffaws._ Her cackling just grows as she starts picturing _that song_ playing on Regina's phone in front of the entire town. She's laughing too hard to breathe. She turns into a gasping mess with tears streaming down her face when she realizes why Snow was so freaked out and the implications of her Mom seeing her name attached to that song.

After endless minutes had passed with no end to Emma's mental breakdown in sight, Regina's deep blush started to fade and she started seeing the hilarity of the situation, too, Her hesitant smile slowly turned into laughter as well. They would clear things up with everyone else the next day, Right then, she was with Emma and Henry, who sat there looking between his Moms, completely lost but happy to see them enjoying themselves so freely together. Again.

Eventually, the laughter dies down and it turns into a comfortable silence as they gain their composure and finally start to eat the food that had been brought without any of them noticing. 

"We have a song." Emma says with a mischievous, flirty smirk. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope I didn't make Henry TOO innocent. I admit, he was a plot device. lol.  
> Go easy on me, please!  
> Comments, feedback kudos, and your version of this "secret" guilty-pleasure-turned-public will make me love you forever! <3


End file.
